Now at age 70 she has written a children’s book designed to inform New Zealanders that the eel in fact plays a big part in the conservation of our waterways and is declining in numbers.
"We used to catch eels before I knew so much about them. They were pretty slimy and yucky. We all caught them, my mother used to put a rotten egg in one of Dad’s old socks and tie the top and eels would flock."
"We didn’t even eat them, that is the terrible thing."
Her book Mark and The Monster Eel was a pet project for Mrs Deuchrass, and designed to help children and their parents conquer their fears, as well as show them the importance of protecting our national eel.
"It is about a little boy who is scared of the eels, because his sister tells him that they are going to come out of the lake and eat him
"Eels clean the waterways, that is their job. They eat all the bugs, snails and things like that. They would eat little dead ducks and things like that, but I haven’t focused on that as it isn’t so good for the kids."
Nationally, the long-finned eel is declining at rapid speed, with Niwa showing they are at only 20-30% of earlier numbers. The rate of decline has been about 7% since the 1980s.
The eel’s life cycle is a pretty basic one. They will migrate from Tonga in the Pacific Ocean as clear eggs and then as clear baby eels. When they hit New Zealand freshwater they turn a darker colour and live in lakes, creeks and rivers for about 60-100 years.
They can grow up to two metres in length and a weight of 25 kilograms.
The eels are helped over dams such as at Roxburgh, by the power companies responsible, before heading to Tonga again to spawn, and die.
The three-time self-published author just wants Kiwis to be more aware these eels are not to be feared, but cared for.
"As the teachers and parents read it to them, they can discuss not only the fear of things — we are all scared of something — and then they can learn the lifecycle of the eel."
"I just grew up in the country and we have done a lot of conservation on our birds but they are not the only thing that plays a part in our ecosystem."
"Eels are pretty harmless to humans, as long as they don’t get in the water when they are feeding."
Mrs Deuchrass worked as a nurse in Dunedin before retiring in Wānaka.
Mount Aspiring College student Amber Lesley did the artwork for the book
